PSC Chief Talks Up Need for Energy Conservation

Public Service Commission Chairman Jeff Davis says conservation might have to become more of a way of life to cope with the growing energy demands of Missourians. The PSC has approved the construction of a new power plant north of Kansas City to meet the demand of the western side of the state. Plants are scheduled to be built in central Missouri and southern Missouri. Davis understands he has to balance power needs with environmental concerns, yet he says wind generation isn’t as promising as some say. Kansas City Power & Light has agreed to generate 100 Megawatts of electricity using wind turbines, with the possibility of using more wind generation in the future. Davis says that no matter what route the state takes to generate electricity, it will have to reduce demand through conservation.